The Business of Green and the UN Climate Change Conference in Mexico

International Institute for Sustainable Development and the Climate Change Conference in Mexico, November 29 - December 9

IISD at COP16 - The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) is in Cancun, Mexico for the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP 16) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) from November 29 to December 10, 2010. IISD will be working with the international community to promote global efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change.

IISD’s Reporting Services will be providing coverage of:

• The UNFCCC negotiations on a daily basis through the Earth Negotiations Bulletin.
• The UNFCCC’s official side events through ENB on the Side.
• Agriculture and Rural Development Day (December 4).
• Forest Day 4 (December 5).
• Development and Climate Days at COP 16 (December 4 and 5).
• World Climate Summit Business Conference(December 4 and 5).

At Development and Climate Days, IISD will be hosting the following panel discussion:

• Low-Carbon, Resilient Development: Lessons learned from early implementation
  Saturday, December 4, 2010
  9:00 AM – 10:30 AM
  Cancun Caribe Park Royal Grand

Despite the current difficulties in the international negotiations, they remain an effective “launching platform” for a series of important implementation activities, such as REDD and adaptation. We are starting to see the same sort of “roll out” with Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs) in support of low-carbon, resilient development. While the development and implementation of NAMAs is very much at a nascent stage, they are already demonstrating that developing countries are keen to take advantage of the multiple benefits that can accrue from sustainable growth. This session will examine lessons from early experiences that could in turn inform the negotiations going forward.

IISD will be hosting an Official UNFCCC side event:

• Rethinking Climate Change Governance
  Saturday, December 4, 2010
  8:15 PM – 9:45 PM
  Room Sandia, Cancún Messe

The side event will examine governance and accountability in the international climate change system. Panelists will explore realistic but ambitious actions to improve accountability, through policies, actions and improved performance in meeting commitments and pledges. A positive agenda on accountability requires building credible and individual capacity in countries, and building on successes in the climate change and other regimes. The session will look at perceptions of accountability and helping to understand ideological and political positions as a starting point, as well as explore potential innovations to improve accountability, such as steps to track fast-start financing and accountability tools from other regimes that may be applicable to the climate change system.

In addition to these activities, IISD Staff and Associates will also be involved in the following events:

• UNFCCC Negotiations Now: Prospects for everything, or anything
  Panel Discusison hosted by the International Emissions Trading Association (IETA)
  Thursday, December 9, 2010
  8:30 AM – 9:45 AM
  Rivera Room, Westin Hotel

  The session will be moderated by John Drexhage, Director, Climate Change and Energy at IISD. Panelists will include:

  • Yvo de Boer, KPMG
  • Bjorn Stigson, WBCSD
  • Henry Derwent, IETA

• Mountains in Peril: Mainstreaming sustainable mountain development into climate change agreements
  Official UNFCCC Side Event hosted by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD)
  Thursday, December 2, 2010
  4:45 PM – 6:15 PM
  Room Aguila, Cancún Messe

The side event will explore: why mountains are important to addressing climate change impacts, key issues in mountain countries and ecosystems, and how mountain ecosystems can be made more resilient systems for climate change adaptations. John Drexhage, Director, Climate Change and Energy at IISD will speak on the panel.

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